Exercise Device for Strengthening and Rehabilitation

ABSTRACT

An exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation. The exercise device includes a planar lower surface, a curved front edge, a rear wall comprising a curved upper edge and a curved lower edge, a pair of opposing planar sidewalls, and an upper surface comprising a front portion that slopes upwardly towards the rear wall with respect to the lower surface. A first ridge is disposed adjacent the front portion of the upper surface. A second ridge disposed adjacent the rear wall is coextensive with the curved upper edge of the rear wall. A recessed area is disposed between the first ridge and the second ridge. The recessed area is configured to receive various body parts of a user for providing support and comfort when performing various exercises.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/453,084 filed on Feb. 1, 2017. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to exercise devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to an exercise device for and strengthening and rehabilitation that includes a recessed area for providing support and comfort to users when performing various exercises for strengthening or rehabilitating particular parts of the body.

Many individuals deal with pain and discomfort when attempting to stretch or exercise particular parts of the body. There exist devices, such as yoga mats or other types of exercise mats, that assist with stretching and strengthening parts of the body in order to alleviate overall discomfort. These devices commonly include elongated planar member that can be rolled up for storage when not in use. However, the uniform height of these types of mats do not allow for the manipulation and support of particular body parts. It can be useful to support a body part at a particular angle when performing an exercise, because the body part can be angled in such a way to provide a maximum amount of stretch, or in a contrasting example, to provide an angle at which the least amount stress is placed on the body part during the exercise. Such directed placement of particular body parts is not possible with typical exercise mats. In view of the above, it is desirable to provide an exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation that allows particular body parts to be supported at a desired angle to provide support when conducting strengthening, stretching, and rehabilitation exercises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of exercise devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when performing various exercises.

The exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation includes a planar lower surface, a curved front edge, a rear wall comprising a curved upper edge and a curved lower edge, a pair of opposing planar sidewalls, and an upper surface comprising a front portion that slopes upwardly towards the rear wall with respect to the lower surface. A first ridge is disposed adjacent the front portion of the upper surface. A second ridge disposed adjacent the rear wall is coextensive with the curved upper edge of the rear wall. A recessed area is disposed between the first ridge and the second ridge. The recessed area is configured to receive various body parts of a user for providing support and comfort when performing various exercises.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the exercise and strengthening device for strengthening and rehabilitation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for providing comfort and support to a user when performing various exercises, such as strengthening, stretching, or rehabilitation exercises. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a perspective view of the exercise device and a side view of the exercise device, respectively. The exercise device 10 comprises a planar lower surface 11, a pair of opposing planar sidewalls 13, a rear wall 14, and an upper surface 12. The upper surface 12 includes a front end 15 that slopes upwardly towards the rear wall 14 with respect to the lower surface 11 and a rear end 16 at an opposing end of the device 10. The front end 15 includes a curved front edge 17 that is coextensive with the lower surface 11 of the exercise device 10, and the rear wall 14 includes a curved upper edge 21 and a curved lower edge 22. The curvature of the upper and lower edges 21, 22 provides a more comfortable contact surface should a user apply pressure to one of the edges 21, 22 with a particular body part.

The front end 15 of the upper surface 12 slopes upwardly to a first ridge 18 that is adjacent the front end 15 of the upper surface 12. The exercise device 10 further includes a second ridge 19 adjacent the rear wall 14. The second ridge 19 is coextensive with the curved upper edge 21 of the rear wall 14. The height of the second ridge 19 is greater than the height of the first ridge 18 with respect to the planar lower surface 11. A recessed area 20 is disposed between the first and second ridges 18, 19. The recessed area 20 is configured to receive a body part of the user when performing various exercises, while the first and second ridges 18, 19 provide support to the body part positioned within the recessed area 20. In the shown embodiment, the recessed area extends across the exercise device 10 between the pair of opposing sidewalls 13. Further, the recessed area 20 includes an arcuate shape configured to comfortably receive a body part therein.

The exercise device 10 can have various dimensions. In one embodiment, the exercise device 10 includes a width of 5.5 inches, the planar lower surface 11 includes a length of 8.375 inches, the first ridge 18 includes a height of 1.875 inches with respect to the planar lower surface 11, the second ridge 19 includes a height of 2.25 inches with respect to the planar lower surface 11, and the lowermost portion of the recessed area 20 includes a height of 1.625 inches with respect to the planar lower surface 11. In the same embodiment, the angle between the front end 15 of the upper surface 12 and the planar lower surface 11 is 19.5 degrees, which is chosen to provide maximum comfort and support to the wrist area when a user's hands are placed on the front end 15 of the upper surface 12. The above-described dimensions allow the exercise device 10 to be compact, easy to transport, and easy to be stored in smaller spaces. The above-described dimensions are further configured to provide the maximum amount of comfort and support to any particular body part. However, the above-described dimensions are for one example of the exercise device 10, and other embodiments may have varying dimensions.

The exercise device 10 is configured to be used in a variety of ways to provide support to particular body parts when performing particular exercises, such as strengthening, stretching, or rehabilitation exercises. In one embodiment of the invention, the exercise device 10 is composed of a semi-rigid foam material. The semi-rigid foam material provides comfort to the portion of the user's body contacting the exercise device 10. The exercise device 10 may be composed of other materials, such as cork or rubber. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the lower surface 11 of the exercise device 10 includes a high friction material. The high friction material preferably includes a coefficient of friction greater than one, so that the exercise device 10 is prevented from sliding across the floor during use. The high friction material can be the same material as the rest of the exercise device 10, or may be an additional material such as a rubber layer or the like.

The semi-rigid foam material of the exercise device 10 is configured to deform slightly when a force is applied thereto. The deformed portions can contour to the part of the user's body applying the force, so that portion is adequately supported during an exercise. For example, a user may place their forearms in the recessed area 20, which cushions the forearm when performing exercises such as a plank. The user may also place their hands on the front end 15 of the upper surface 12 when performing push-ups. The angle of the upper surface 12 reduces the amount of stress placed on the wrist area, which protects the carpal tunnel and makes the exercise more comfortable to perform.

In another use, the user may place their heel on the front end 15 of the upper surface 12 and lean forward to stretch the plantar fascia and the calf muscles. The user may deepen the stretch by curling the toes and squeezing the upper surface 12 of the exercise device 10, in order to strengthen the intrinsic musculature of the foot. Alternatively, the user may place their heel in the recessed area 20 to stretch the plantar fascia from a different angle, allowing for increased extension of the toes. This deepened stretch helps to develop a more natural step or foot strike. This reduces the stress on the foot, ankle, knee, and hip when walking, and helps the user develop a more natural gait cycle. In yet another use, the user may stand on the exercise device 10 with their toes facing the front end 15 and their heel positioned in the recessed area 20. This positioning forces extension of the toes and supports the heel and lateral foot area when the user performs a squat. This position further allows proper tracking of the knees over the feet, which reduces the risk of injury to the knees and lower back when performing a squat.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) An exercise device for strengthening and rehabilitation, comprising: a planar lower surface; a curved front edge; a rear wall comprising a curved upper edge and a curved lower edge; a pair of opposing planar sidewalls; an upper surface comprising a front portion that slopes upwardly towards the rear wall with respect to the lower surface; a first ridge adjacent the front portion of the upper surface; a second ridge adjacent the rear wall, the second ridge coextensive with the curved upper edge of the rear wall; a recessed area disposed between the first ridge and the second ridge; wherein the recessed area is configured to receive a body part of a user performing an exercise. 2) The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the device is composed of a foam material. 3) The exercise device of claim 2, wherein the foam material is configured to deform when a user's body part applies a force thereto. 4) The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the second ridge includes a height greater than a height of the first ridge. 5) The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the planar lower surface includes a length of 8.375 inches. 6) The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the first ridge includes a height of 1.875 inches. 7) The exercise device of claim 6, wherein the recessed area comprises a lowermost portion, wherein a height of the lowermost portion is 1.625 inches. 8) The exercise device of claim 7, wherein the second ridge includes a height of 2.25 inches. 